“Tyres, brakes and lights must all be in excellent working order and these are just the sort of things that are checked in an MoT test.

“We are also having a purge on vehicles that have bulbs out because it is important that vehicles can be seen.”

Between October 1 2014 and October 1 2015 a total of 3,452 drivers in Essex were prosecuted for having an invalid MoT, with 4,145 drivers prosecuted the previous year.

The fine for the offence is £100.

Mr Pipe added: “The figures suggest offences are falling as more people become aware that they face being fined but at the same time more drivers seem to forget it is up to them to remember when tests are due.

“We are using automatic number plate recognition technology on more of our road operations and can tell instantly if a vehicle has an invalid MoT.

“We hope drivers will follow this advice so we can avoid penalising them for making a genuine mistake.”

Many garages offer a paid-for service to remind people when an MoT is due, and people can also check online at www.gov.uk/check-mot-status.